Every time I try to start my next NFL mock draft some massive trade happens and I have to start over so I’m just going to wait it out another week or so, in the meantime, Iowa released their two-deeps heading into spring practice. There’s a very good chance this two-deep roster is complete garbage in a month and it’s almost completely useless when considering next season (that’s not really true but it feels that way).
The biggest off season story lines for the Hawkeyes are losing three really talented underclassmen early to the NFL; Tyler Linderbaum, Tyler Goodson and Dane Belton, the coaching staff changes and…oh yeah, who’s going to take the starting QB job? Losing Linderbaum, Goodson and Belton early hurts but any good team is going to have early entry guys and you just have to find their replacements.
Moving Brian Ferentz to QB coach from TE coach to go with his offensive coordinator duties is Kirk doubling down on his son. The same guy running an offense that finished near the bottom of the offensive rankings last season, it could go very badly, very quickly. Abdul Hodge was brought in to coach TEs, I like that move. He’s a good young coach with ties to Florida and he should be a great addition to the staff.
Finally, the QB position. They have a new coach and his first responsibility is to figure out his starter. Let’s begin there.
OFFENSE
Quarterback (I’m not listing them as Starter and/or Backup on purpose)
Spencer Petras (SR)
Alex Padilla (JR)
Joe Labas (RS Fr)
Spencer Petras has mostly been the guy for the past two seasons but the fact that there’s a competition tells you all you need to know about his play. Alex Padilla looked good at times last year when he got a chance but also had moments he looked as rough as Petras. These two were bound to compete for the job but the spring two-deeps also has Joe Labas listed. He’s a redshirt freshman who could steal the job. The hope is that having the offensive coordinator be the QB coach will improve the QB play, well, I’m not sure it can make it worse (and no Brian, that’s not to be taken as challenge).
Petras is the quintessential Iowa QB; big, strong-armed and doesn’t move all that well. Padilla is the smaller, quicker guy with the legs to get himself out of trouble as long as they aren’t getting him into trouble. Petras found some touch last season but his main problem seems to be making a quick decision and getting rid of the ball (that’s not a great trait when your o-line was as bad as Iowa’s last season). He also simply misses too many throws. Padilla was much better early on when he replaced Petras at making a decision and getting the ball out. That tailed off as teams figured him out a bit and took away his easy reads.
Labas is the wildcard. Apparently, he looked really good during bowl prep when he finally got a chance to run the Iowa offense and not just be the scout team QB. He’s not as big as Petras and probably not as nimble as Padilla but he should be more of a mix of the two. After watching the debacle that was last year’s offense, I’m hoping Labas comes out the winner. Or true freshman Carson May could come out of nowhere in the fall, just please don’t subject us to the Petras/Padilla roulette wheel again. My biggest hope is that by the law of averages, Iowa’s QB and offense can’t possibly be as bad as they were in 2021 (again, that’s not a challenge).
Running Backs/Fullback
Starters: Gavin Williams (SO), Monte Pottebaum (SR)
Backup: Leshon Williams (SO), Turner Pallissard (SR)
With Tyler Goodson off to the NFL the RB job is Gavin Williams’ for the taking. He really played well in the bowl game and I like the way he runs. He’s got power, speed and he likes to run downhill, also, he’s not afraid of contact. He is well-built and has good balance when he gets hit. He’s going to get some competition from Leshon Williams who also looked good in the bowl game. Leshon is slightly smaller but still well-built and maybe has a little more speed. Pottebaum and Pallissard return at FB and no defense wants to see those guys coming through a hole to throw a block.
The problem this spring is that there isn’t a lot of depth at RB so it’s basically the Williams show. Freshman Deavin Hilson redshirted in 2021 but I’m not completely convinced RB is his ultimate position. The team will have to wait until true freshmen RBs Jaziun Patterson and Kaleb Johnson get on the campus this summer to know if there is any real competition at RB. It seems like there’s a possibility at least one of them gets carries next season.
Wide Receivers
Starters: Keegan Johnson (SO), Nico Ragaini (SR), Charlie Jones (SR)
Backups: Arland Bruce (SO), Jackson Ritter (JR)
Others: Diante Vines (SO), Brody Brecht (RS Fr)
Keegan Johnson broke out as a true freshman last season and he really clicked when Alex Padilla became the starting QB. He’s the most talented WR on the roster and he’s a game breaker. Charlie Jones returns for his super, super senior year to prove he’s more than just an excellent returner. He was a really good at WR last year but he would really benefit from more consistent QB play. Nico Ragaini returns as the slot guy and while he had some struggles last year, the talent is there as an inside receiver.
Arland Bruce had his moments and hopefully the Hawkeyes expand the ways they use him this year. He’s not simply a receiver, he’s an all-purpose weapon. The Hawkeyes have to find ways to get the ball in his hands even if he isn’t in the starting lineup. Jackson Ritter is a walk-on WR who earned some playing time before Johnson and Bruce got going in the freshman seasons. Ritter is a bigger bodied WR compared to most of the rest of the roster so he brings a different element.
There are two guys on the roster the team has to hope can make a move next season and that starts in spring practice. Diante Vines has already been passed by a couple of guys younger than him (Johnson and Bruce) but he has stuck around to compete. It’s now or never. Brody Brecht redshirted last season as he was coming off an injury, if he’s healthy he adds a nice size element to the WR corps.
Tight Ends
Starter: Sam LaPorta (SR)
Backup: Luke Lachey (SO)
Sam LaPorta’s ascension to the top tier TE prospect everyone expects him to be stalled a bit last year but I attribute most of that to the uneven QB play (“uneven” is the nice way to put it). He has all the talent you can need to become the top TE in college football next year and become the top TE prospect for the NFL. Iowa QB’s have to be better and if they are, LaPorta will have a great year. Lachey is only a sophomore and he’s in line to be the next great Iowa TE. He played well last season and he should only get better this year.
The problem for the Hawkeyes is there is no depth to speak of for spring except for some walk-ons. Elijah Yelverton is apparently giving up football and Josiah Miamen transferred out. Iowa does have a commitment from a transfer, Steven Stilianos from Lafayette College but he isn’t here for the spring. In the fall, it’s him, some walk-ons and the true freshmen competing for the third TE spot. Stilianos would seem to be in good shape.
Offensive Line
Starters: LT Mason Richman (SO), LG Justin Britt (JR), C Tyler Elsbury (SO), RG Connor Colby (SO), RT Jack Plumb (SR)
Backups: LT David Davidkov (RS Fr), LG Beau Stephens (RS Fr), C Matt Fagan (SR)/Logan Jones (SO), RG Josh Volk (SO), RT Nick DeJong (JR)
Others: Michael Myslinski, Gennings Dunker, Griffin Liddle (All RS Fr)
This is where most of Iowa’s offensive problems started last season and the ones that didn’t start here (poor QB play) were exacerbated by it. Losing the best center in the country and a senior starting guard isn’t going to help. It also hurts that Cody Ince, a likely starter at guard, has decided to retire from football. The hope is that the youth from last year’s line matures and develops after a year of trial by fire.
Mason Richman started most of last season as an undersized redshirt freshman at LT and it showed. He has plenty of talent to work with but it would help if he gets good a little faster. Connor Colby took over the RG job after some early rotating and he was a true freshman. I have to say I would be a little surprised if Colby doesn’t get at least a cursory look at RT this spring. Jack Plumb and Nick DeJong basically split the RT job last year and they are the upper classmen of this group. Neither was particularly good so if one of them doesn’t lock down the job this spring with a far better performance, Connor Colby, David Davidkov and maybe Beau Stephens could all get a look there. Justin Britt is a junior penciled in at LG but he’s had injury issues and struggled at times, with the sheer volume of guys behind him, he has to play well to keep that job.
Now for the center position. Tyler Elsbury is listed as the starter but I consider that tentative. Matt Fagan is a senior walk-on the coaches will give a shot at the job but he’s probably not the answer either. The coaching staff moved Logan Jones from DT to C in the off season and while he’s been injured a bit, he has tremendous physical gifts. If may seem like a stretch to take a guy who has been playing DT and turn him into a starting center in one off season but that’s the exact path Tyler Linderbaum took and if I were a betting man, I’m taking Logan Jones as the starter at center in the fall. The coaches didn’t take him from the defensive tackle rotation so he could sit on the bench as a backup center.
The backups aren’t going to just quietly sit back and let the starters have their jobs. With the exception of Connor Colby, none of these starters cemented a starting spot last year and I can’t guarantee Colby starts at RG, he could be an OT pretty easily. David Davidkov and Beau Stephens are exceptionally talented guys, they are just young and Davidkov had some injury issues last season that set him back. Matt Fagan is a senior looking to take a spot and Nick DeJong has been a starter before. Hopefully the competition leads to the best five guys getting out there and coming together as a unit.
Michael Myslinski, Gennings Dunker, and Griffin Liddle are all redshirt freshmen who are either coming back from injury, fighting injury or are still learning offensive line. They are talented youngsters who just need some development time.
DEFENSE
Defensive Line
Starters: DE John Waggoner (SR), DE Joe Evans (SR), DT Noah Shannon (SR), DT Logan Lee (JR)
Backups: DE Max Llewellyn (RS Fr), DE Deontae Craig (SO), DT Lukas Van Ness (SO), DT Yahya Black (SO)
Others: DE Jeff Bowie (RS Fr) DE Caden Crawford (FR), DE Brian Allen (FR), DT Jeremiah Pittman (RS Fr)
The inexperienced defensive line from last year is now a senior-laden group with some very exciting underclassmen pushing them for playing time. John Waggoner and Joe Evans are somehow seniors at DE and they both got a lot of playing time last season so they should be ready to go. Waggoner is strong and steady even if he isn’t the flashy sack guy. Evans has beefed up over several years and now gets his chance to be a starter if he can hold up against the run. Noah Shannon is a senior at DT and he was solid last year too. He knows how to plug things up in the middle. Logan Lee came on during the season last year after battling some injuries early and took over the starting spot. He is an emerging talent.
Deontae Craig got some valuable experience even if he wasn’t a full-time player. Craig can hopefully fill the designated pass rusher spot Joe Evans has been the last few years since Evans is taking the full-time starter role. Max Llewellyn will get a shot to find some playing time. He’s earned a shot and he’ll be helped out by the fact that Ethan Hurkett is out this spring with an injury. Lukas Van Ness was a revelation as a part-time player and he’s only going to get better with more playing time. He’s an undersized DT but he’s a playmaker and was a fantastic interior rusher last year. Yahya Black is the big man in the middle and he provides more size than Shannon, Lee or Van Ness. Don’t be mistaken, he’s a good athlete too but his size is noticeable compared to the others.
Two redshirt freshmen and two early enrollee true freshmen are looking to develop this spring. DE Jeff Bowie certainly looks the part and Jeremiah Pittman is a guy who also brings some much-needed size at DT. Caden Crawford and Brian Allen are the two early enrollees who will look to get a jump on things at DE. Both guys are talented but they are true freshmen so the odds they find playing time is slim.
Linebackers
Starters: MLB Jack Campbell (SR), WLB Seth Benson (SR), LEO Jestin Jacobs (JR), Cash Sebastian Castro (JR)
Backups: MLB Jay Higgins (JR), WLB Kyler Fisher (JR), LEO Logan Klemp (SR)
Others: Jaden Harrell, Justice Sullivan, Zach Twedt, Karson Sharar (All RS Fr)
This is the strongest position on the team with seniors Jack Campbell and Seth Benson leading the way. The two of them never leave the field with Campbell directing everything from his MLB spot and Benson able to play on every down. Campbell gets most of the hype and it’s much deserved but Benson is an outstanding LB too. Jestin Jacobs shares the other spot with the cash position when Iowa goes to it’s five DB look. However, with Jacobs’ development and the loss of Dane Belton we may see Jacobs play more than ever. He’s a fantastic athlete who seems to get better with every rep. For now, Sebastian Castro is penciled in at the cash spot and it should be interesting if he can hold on to it. True freshman uber recruit Xavier Nwankpa is on campus early and he’s going to see the field somewhere.
Jay Higgins, Kyler Fisher, and Logan Klemp are all upperclassmen just waiting for a chance but have been stuck behind some very talented players. Fisher is a former walk-on who has seen some time but Higgins and Klemp have mostly seen time on special teams. They all add nice depth but they are a step down from the very talented starting group.
Harrell, Sullivan, Twedt, and Sharar all redshirted last year since there was just no chance they were going to see significant action. All of them have potential moving forward and they should look to make an impact on special teams to get their feet wet.
Defensive Back
Starters: CB Riley Moss (SR), CB Jermari Harris (JR), SS Kaevon Merriweather (SR), FS Quinn Schulte (JR)
Backups: CB Terry Roberts (SR), CB Cooper DeJean (SO), SS Sebastian Castro (JR), FS Jaxon Rexroth (RS Fr)
Others: CB AJ Lawson (SO), CB Brenden Deasfernandes (SO), CB TJ Hall (FR), S Dallas Craddieth (SR), S Reggie Bracy (JR), S Xavier Nwankpa (FR)
The only sure things in the secondary right now are CB Riley Moss and SS Kaevon Merriweather. Moss comes back after winning the Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year award and Merriweather is a multi-year starting senior. That isn’t to say there are question marks elsewhere, it’s more like there are options, and we should all trust Phil Parker to figure out the best options. For now, Jermari Harris gets the nod at CB opposite Moss. He played last year when injuries struck and he started the bowl game. He played fairly well and he’s got room to grow. His competition is Terry Roberts. He’s a senior who has started some but also has had some injury issues. Roberts is a great special teams’ player and he’ll give Harris a run for his money for the starting spot. Quinn Schulte is a walk-on safety looking to step in for Jack Koerner and while no one should doubt he could be the guy, he’s going to have to hold off some talented guys.
Roberts will compete for the starting spot and if he doesn’t win the starting spot, he’s an excellent third CB. Cooper DeJean is listed as the other backup CB after ending the year at the position last season. However, DeJean was recruited as a safety and there’s a chance, he competes for the FS spot. If the coaches can get comfortable with one of the young CBs as the fourth guy, DeJean can move back to safety. Castro is sort of in the same spot Belton was last year being the Cash and being a strong safety. The difference is Belton was a full-time player while Castro still has to earn his playing time. Jaxon Rexroth is a walk-on redshirt freshman who is apparently quite physically impressive. He may grow out of the position but for now he will compete at safety.
The team could really use one of the young CBs to step up and at least be the fourth guy so DeJean can compete at safety. Regardless, they need these young guys to step up because Moss, Roberts and Merriweather are all seniors. AJ Lawson and Brenden Deasfernandes have been around a few years and need to show some development or they will get passed by younger guys at CB. TJ Hall is an early enrollee CB who may already have the physical development to get playing time. Dallas Craddieth is a senior who isn’t going to get time at safety but he’s a leader and a special teams’ guy and brings value there. Reggie Bracy is a junior who needs to show progress this spring because he’s already losing ground to younger guys and walk-ons. The x-factor is Xavier Nwankpa and that’s not just cleaver word play. He’s a true freshman but he’s the highest rated recruit at Iowa in forever. He could play cash, he could be a free safety, he could be a strong safety. He’s going to get on the field, this spring is just the beginning of finding out where he fits best.
Kicker/ Punter
Aaron Blom and Lucas Amaya were already on campus and were likely to fight for the kicker job and now early enrollee Drew Stevens enters the mix. It could be an all-out battle for the right to replace Caleb Shudak. Punter is a different story. Tory Taylor returns, it’s his job and he has All-American potential.
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